Suspension device



y 1963 1.. F. GRAPER 3,090,990

SUSPENSION DEVICE Filed Jan. 29. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J .3. INVENTOR.

May 28, 1963 Filed Jan. 29. 1960 L. F. GRAPER 3,090,990

SUSPENSION DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. fiuznm .Q iQ R m! 6 K7 aide-1% United States Patent 3,090,990 SUSPENSION DEVICE Lawrence F. Graper, Chicago, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Armour and Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 5,527 2 Claims. (Cl. 17-443) This invention relates to devices for hanging meats and more particularly the invention relates to suspension devices that are useful in hanging cured bacon bellies during the bacon smoking operation.

It is common in a modern bacon processing operation to smoke bacon bellies at a temperature from about 135 to 140 F. for a period of from 8 to 24 hours. This smoking process has as its object the production of a de sirable gloss and color in the bacon product, to preserve the quality in the cured bacon product, reduction of moisture content, impart a desirable taste and flavor, and to preserve the quality.

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eludes bar 10 having depending arms 11 and 12 with integral penetrating prongs 13 and 14 disposed at an angle preferably less than 90 to members 11 and 12, as most clearly shown in FIG. 2. A series of depending members 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are rigidly secured to bar a 10, with said members having integral penetrating prongs 21, 22, 23, 24, and 26 in substantially the same plane as prongs 1 3 and 14. Horizontal bar 27 is secured to the depending members and provides additional rigidity to the device. As previously pointed out the back of the comb hanger is arcuate shaped, the back being curved in a direction towards the penetrating prongs.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 3, the penetrating prongs are non-parallel to each other and extend outwardly from an imaginary line 35 drawn at right angles to the midpoint of bar 27. These penetrating prongs are so arranged that the distance between the points of any two prongs,

In such a smoking process bacon bellies are usually hung from the flank end on suspension devices called comb hangers in smoke houses on smoke house trees. When conventional comb hangers are used, such as are described in U.S. Patent No. 1,825,879, prior to insertion of the comb hanger, the belly is compressed from both sides at the flank end, making this flank end somewhat narrower than the shoulder end. This operation permits the belly to take its natural shrink in smoke processing and still come out square.

In suspending bacon bellies using the conventional bacon hanger, the heat generated in the smoke processing operation causes the face or lean side of the belly to contract forming a cup or pocket in the flank end of the belly. When this pocket is formed, much of the heated air in the smoke house by-passes this area and quite often this pocket area is not properly dried or finished. This condition is further aggravated by the fact that the pocket, usually called the flank pocket, is covered with heavy membranes through which it is difficult to remove moisture. The presence of moisture in these flank pockets causes the bacon belly to be downgraded when sliced. Attempts have been made to remove the moisture in the flank pocket area by either puncturing or removing the membrane. Neither method has proved very satisfactory.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide 2. bacon hanger which facilitates the suspending of bacon in the smoke processing operation. It is also an object of this invention to provide a bacon hanger which will substantially eliminate the flank pocket on the face of the belly. It is a further object of this invention to provide a bacon hanger which will eliminate the operation of compressing the belly from both sides at the flank end prior to the insertion of the bacon hanger. Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is further illustrated in the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are plan views of further modifications of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 13.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The back of the comb hanger shown in FIG. 1 is of a generally arcuate shape and infor example, dimension X, is greater than the distance between the bases of the same two prongs, for example, the dimension Y, as shown in FIG. 3.

I have discovered that by arranging the penetrating prongs in the manner aforesaid, the difierence in dimension between the points and bases of the prongs automatically causes a uniform reduction in the width of the belly at the flank end when the comb hanger is inserted into the belly. Thus this device eliminates the need to have an operator manually reduce the width of the belly at the flank end by pulling the belly together as he inserts the comb. A further advantage is that the presence of crevices in the belly have been substantially lessened through the use of my improved comb hanger.

As shownin FIG. 1, a hanger member 28 is attached at 29 to the depending member 18. One end of the hanger is formed into a hook 30 in order that the device may be suspended from an overhead support, not shown. It is desirable that the hook 30 be constructed as shown in FIG. 1, that is, the hook be bent at point 36 to form a fairly sharp angle. This type of construction reduces the tendency of the suspended bellies to sway and causes them to hang parallel to each other allowing more uniform heating. If desired, additional rigidity may be provided by means of semi-circular member 31 secured to bar 10 at 32 and 33 and to hanger 28 at 34.

I have also discovered that by bending the back of the comb in the form of an arc, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and inserting the comb in the face side of the belly, the flank pocket is substantially eliminated in the smoke processing operation. The curved back of the comb extends the flank area outwardly so that this area is subjected to more heated 'air during the smoking opera tion.

FIGS. 4-7 illustrate plan views of other embodiments of my invention, wherein the letter a, b, c or d in combination with a number designates corresponding parts of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. In FIG. 4, the back of the comb hanger, shown as the bar 27a is curved in a direction opposite to the embodiment shown in FIGS. l-3, that is, the back is curved in a direction away from the penetrating prongs. As in the embodiment shown in FIGS. l-3, the penetrating prongs 13a, 14a, 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a and 26a are non-parallel to each other and are so arranged that the distance between the points of any two prongs, for example, the dimension X between the points of prongs 23a and 24a is greater than the distance between the bases of the same two prongs, shown as the dimension Y.

In utilizing the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the device is inserted into the fat side of the bacon belly and prevents the formation of the flank pocket, on the face side of the belly. The arrangement of the penetrating prongs automatically and uniformly reduces the width of the bacon belly when the device is inserted into the belly.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 the back of the comb shown as the bar 27b is straight, but the penetrating prongs are arranged in the same manner as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. When such a device is utilized in the hanging of bacon bellies, a uniform compression or re duction of width of the belly at the flank end will automatically take place. Since the back of the comb is straight and not curved as shown in the previous embodiments, such a device would not aid in eliminating the flank pocket on the face side of the belly.

FIG. 6 illustrates a further embodiment of my comb hanger wherein the back of the comb, shown as the bar 270, is curved towards the penetrating prongs. It should be noted that these penetrating prongs are arranged in a substantially parallel relationship. In utilizing such a device, it would be inserted into the face side of the belly to eliminate the fiank pocket in the face side of the flank end during the smoking operation. Since the penetrating prongs are substantially parallel to each other and the dimension between the points of any two prongs is approximately equal to the dimension between the bases of corresponding prongs, the automatic uniform reduction in width of the belly will not result.

The arrangement of the penetrating prongs 13d, 14d, 21d, 22d, 23d, 24d, 25d and 26d shown in the device of FIG. 7 is the'sarne as that of FIG. 6, that is, each penetrating prong is substantially parallel .to every other penetrating prong. The difierence between the embodiments of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 is the curvature of the back of the comb, represented in FIG. 7 by the bar 27d. In this embodiment the back is curved away from the penetrating prongs. FIG. 6,this embodiment could not be used to obtain the automatic uniform reduction inrwidth of the belly. However, it is useful in eliminating the cupping of the flank end of the bacon belly during the smoking opera Again, as in the embodiment shown in 4 tion. In order to accomplish this result, the device is inserted through the fat side of the bacon belly.

It is preferred that the devices shown in FIGS. 1-7 be constructed of stainless steel wire or other material which is resistant to corrosion since the deviceis to be used in conjunction with food products.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings, are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described this invention, there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. A device for suspending bacon bellies during a smoke processing operation comprising a back member having a means for hanging said device to an overhead support and a plurality of spaced prongs rigidly secured to said back member and extending laterally from said member, said prongs being so arranged that the distance between the points of any two prongs is .greater than the distance between the corresponding bases of any two prongs whereby insertion of said device into the flank end of a bacon belly causes a uniform reduction of the width of said flank end of said belly, said back mem-, ber being arcuate shaped and curved in a direction toward said prongs whereby the flank pocket is substantially eliminated during said processing.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spaced prongs extend laterally at an acute angle to said back member and wherein said back member is arcuate shaped and curved in a direction away from said prongs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Tominello Dec. 10, 1946 

1. A DEVICE SUSPENDING BACON BELLIES DURING A SMOKE PROCESSING OPERATION COMPRISING A BACK MEMBER HAVING A MEANS FOR HANGING SAID DEVICE TO AN OVERHEAD SUPPORT AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED PRONGS RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID BACK MEMBER AND EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID MEMBER, SAID PRONGS BEING SO ARRANGED THAT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE POINTS OF ANY TWO PRONGS IS GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE CORRESPONDING BASES OF ANY TWO PRONGS WHEREBY INSERTION OF SAID DEVICE INTO THE FLANK END OF A BACON BELLY CAUSES A UNIFORM REDUCTION OF THE WIDTH OF SAID FLANK END OF SAID BELLY, SAID BACK MEMBER BEING ARCUATE SHAPED AND CURVED IN A DIRECTION TO- 